Assignment of applications (apps) and relevant services to specific locations

Abstract

A system and method is presented that extracts snippets form web pages according to specially designed logic. The extracted snippets might be made relevant to, i.e., indexed by, a location and time/day applicability. Such snippets may be thought of as apps or services that are defined only when a mobile terminal is in a pre-defined geographical area at a certain time and day (e.g., as defined by a calendar of events). Extracted snippets are stored and made searchable. Methods and a system are described to control the display of snippet search results. Snippets may be selected by user or by programmed logic and executed on the mobile terminal or in remote servers without the need to download the app or source code associated with the snippet.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A method for assigning apps and/or services to one or more specific locations, dates and times, comprising:
 extracting snippets from a web resource or from information received from a web resource, the snippets each including information concerning at least one app and/or service available from the respective web resources, the app and/or service only being operable at one or more specified locations, dates and times; and   storing the information contained in the snippets in a searchable data structure that identifies the one or more specified locations, dates and times of operability of the app and/or service associated with the snippets, the searchable data structure being configured such that the app and/or service is only discoverable by searching the data structure with a communication terminal when the communication terminal is at one of the specified locations, dates and times.   
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1  further comprising obtaining the one or more specific locations using GPS coordinates, or by reference to a topological map, or by reference to or proximity to a geographical landmark, or by reference to a postal address, or by reference to an Internet connected device located at one of the specific locations or by reference to a beacon. 
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein assignment of the service to a specific location extends operability of the service to an extended region encompassing the specific location. 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the assigned services are communicated to distributed hardware and software inter-networked components that collect said apps and services into a searchable index. 
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the service is available from a website, said service being downloadable through the user-selectable link. 
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the service is available from the website via a servlet execution model. 
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the service is available from the website via an applet execution model. 
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 1  wherein the service includes a user-interface presentable on the mobile device for controlling an Internet-connected physical device. 
     
     
         9 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the user-interface allows operation of the physical device to be customized in accordance with user preferences. 
     
     
         10 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the user-interface allows operation of the physical device to be customized in accordance with user preferences that are automatically determined without further user intervention. 
     
     
         11 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the user preferences are automatically determined from social media websites associated with the user. 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the user preferences are automatically determined from user preferences previously specified by the user through the user interface. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the automatic determination of user preferences is accomplished by using information derived from user preferences of other consumers. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 10  wherein the user preferences of other consumers is used to train a learning function that is then utilized to predict user preferences of the user of the mobile terminal device, said predicted user preferences being used to customize the performance of and functions provided by the physical device. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the Internet-connected physical device is an Internet-connected appliance. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 8  wherein the Internet-connected physical device is a vending machine that vends media content, a product or a service. 
     
     
         17 . A method for discovering services that are operable at the current location of a mobile terminal device comprising:
 using the mobile communication device to search the app store to identify apps or services that are currently available at the current location of the mobile device, said identifying information including (i) information describing one or more services that are available for use at the current date/time (ii) information specifying one or more geographic locations and times at which the one or more services are available for use and (iii) a user-selectable link for establishing communication with a website from which the service is accessible or controllable; and   in response to the search, receiving from the app store over fixed/wireless connection one or more identifying information that specify a location matching the current location of the mobile device and a date/time matching a date/time at which the mobile device is at the current location.   
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17  wherein the service is associated with an event or activity occurring at a venue in which the mobile device is currently located. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  wherein the event includes an entertainment event. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  wherein the entertainment event includes an athletic event, a musical performance or a theatrical performance.